Frequently Asked Questions

Welcome to Mill End Voices. We hope you will come and join us, so to give you an idea of what to expect, here are the answers to some commonly-asked questions:

What music do you sing?
Mostly musical theatre and (older) pop songs, with a bit of light classical music thrown in for variety. Much of it is accompanied by tailor-made backing tracks, although we also sing unaccompanied on occasion. The majority of our music is arranged ‘in-house’ by our conductor, Patrick and Chair, Simon. We do also use some commercial sheet music, but on the whole it is our unique arrangements and repertoire which create our ‘USP’.

How much does it cost?
There are no subs or membership fees. You just pay £10 on the door (first session is free). We are currently running a special offer, Bring a Tenor, Pay a Fiver, which entitles you to a half-price session if you bring along a new male singer (tenor or bass).

I have heard your rehearsals are very fast!
We do rehearse fast, but don’t panic! You are surrounded by lots of friendly faces/voices, many of whom have been to a number of rehearsals and know the music well. These ‘buddies’ will help you along, as well as being understanding. Don’t be scared to ask for guidance, especially if you are unsure which line is yours on the page and how the repeats work.

I don’t really read music
We are interested in your voice and enthusiasm, so if you pick things up fast by listening, that’s great, and you are very welcome. It will be tough to start with, but it will soon get easier - promise!

Can I take the music home?
The original sheet music stays with us, mainly in order to ensure that we have spares for newcomers such as yourself at each rehearsal. However, our website will come to your rescue. Here you have access to download sheet music for the songs we are currently working on, plus backing tracks. In addition, there are tracks with just your part on them, plus accompaniment; this should help you learn the musical lines.

Will I be expected to do any practice at home?
It will certainly help if you have sung along to the tracks in between sessions - we do only meet occasionally, after all. Hopefully you’ll enjoy the music so much that you just won’t be able to resist!

Do we do public performances?
We make an annual appearance in the High Wycombe Music Centre Senior Concert, and also aim to perform at the annual Beaconsfield Festival of Choirs. We end the academic year with a performance in Great Missenden Church. July 2018 saw us take part in the Bucks Music Trust's Celebration Concert at the Royal Albert Hall, and we also organise the occasional recording weekend away at a local conference centre, which includes a choral workshop with top young conductor, Tori Longdon.

How do you communicate?
Website
The website www.millendvoices.org has a members area in which you can find sheet music and rehearsal tracks for the songs we sing, sign-up forms for concerts and information about MEV events. Though not essential, we strongly encourage you to sign up to the website.

To gain access to the members area, visit www.millendvoices.org and on the left side in the "User Login" box, click on "Create New Account", then follow the instructions.

Your account request will be sent for approval by a Committee member, and you will receive an email once your access has been enabled.

If you have any trouble using the website, please speak to our Webmaster, Simon Harrison.

Facebook
MEV runs a closed Facebook group which you are very welcome to join. It is called "Mill End Voices" and contains postings about our activities, along with occasional non-MEV activities that our members get up to. As a member of this group you'll receive rehearsal event invitations which can be handy as a reminder of when the next rehearsal is taking place.

You can leave the group at any time by visiting the group and clicking on the "Joined" button and select "Leave group".

If you have trouble finding the group, speak to one of our Committee and they'll be able to add you.

The MEV Committee
Catch one of us during the rehearsal break if you have any questions about MEV.

Chair:

Simon Harrison (tenor)

Treasurer:

Sue Smith (soprano)

Secretary:

Nadia Lynn (alto)

MD:

Derry Pope

Leaving MEV
We hope this is the start of a long and enjoyable time with us, but should you wish to leave MEV at any point, simply inform one of the Committee or Patrick, our musical director and we will remove you from the members' mail list and delete or put beyond use your personal data. Please note that we may be required by law to retain some information for a fixed period of time, for example attendance records.

Alternatively, if you are taking a temporary break and wish to remain informed of MEV activities, let us know and we will leave you on the members' mail list.